Subject: Okanagan Valley (BC) Rare Bird Alert - Aug 22 update
Date: Aug 22 23:22:21 2004
From: Chris Charlesworth - c_charlesworth23 at hotmail.com


This is the Okanagan Valley (BC) Bird Alert (250-491-7738), sponsored by The
Land Conservancy of BC.

Sightings for Sunday, August 22 - 11:30 PM update

** RARE BIRD ALERT for BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER and BLACK TURNSTONE (Salmon
Arm)

Featured Birds include:

AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (Salmon Arm)
SANDERLING (Salmon Arm)
UPLAND SANDPIPER (Kelowna)
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Salmon Arm)
AMERICAN REDSTART (Kelowna)

Other birds

Red-necked Phalarope
American White Pelican
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
FRANKLIN'S GULL
MEW GULL
STILT SANDPIPER
UPLAND SANDPIPER
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
Peregrine Falcon
Baird's Sandpiper
CLARK'S GREBE
Red-necked Phalarope
Clay-colored Sparrow
Spruce Grouse
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
Yellow-breasted Chat
Lesser Yellowlegs
Common Tern


Sightings for August 22

Birding continues to be great in Salmon Arm, especially with the arrival of
a cold front. Two juv. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen on the mudflats
off the Nature Park at the foot of Narcisse Road
(DC,RH,SR,TH,EM,CC,DW,RT,JB,RM). Also seen far out on the flats from the
nature park was a juv. BLACK TURNSTONE (DC,m.ob). An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
continues on the flats as do up to 20 STILT SANDPIPERS, 2 SANDERLINGS, 7
FRANKLIN'S GULLS, an adult MEW GULL, and 2 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS
(DC,m.ob).

In Kelowna, an adult and a juvenile SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER were at Munson's
Pond (CC), and migrant songbirds were dripping from the trees at the
Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna. Highlights were an AMERICAN REDSTART,
an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, a LEAST FLYCATCHER and an UPLAND SANDPIPER
calling overhead (CC,RT).

Eleven RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were at Mahoney Lake in the South Okanagan
(LN).


Sightings for August 21

The two UPLAND SANDPIPERS were again seen from the Nature Park at the foot
of Narcisse Road in Salmon Arm (CC,RT,TF). The birds were last seen flying
SW. at approx 10 AM. Also seen on the mudflats from the Nature Park was a
SANDERLING, 150 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, nearly 300 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 2
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 4 FRANKLIN'S GULLS and the completely albino LESSER
YELLOWLEGS. Up to 18 STILT SANDPIPERS were on the foreshore at this
location, with one more at Christmas Island. 16 juv. STILT SANDPIPERS were
at Robert Lake and 4 more were at Rawlings Lake E. of Lumby (CC). Migrant
songbirds in Salmon Arm included a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW at the Nature Park
and a LEAST FLYCATCHER along the path to Christmas Island (CC,RT,TF). Two
ad. CLARK'S GREBES were visible from Christmas Island as well (CC,RT,TF).

A female SPRUCE GROUSE with 4 large chicks was seen along Dee Lake Road,
near the lake itself (CC,RT).

At the Vaseux Banding Stn. a PEREGRINE FALCON and the imm. DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT were reported (BL,LRock).


Sightings for August 20

Two UPLAND SANDPIPERS, an adult and a juvenile were seen in the tall grass
along the edge of the mudflats to the W. of the Nature Park at the foot of
Narcisse Road in Salmon Arm (DC). The best way to see the birds may be to
wear rubber boots and stalk through the grass. Also in Salmon Arm on the
mudflats was a SANDERLING, 9 juv. STILT SANDPIPERS and a completely albino
LESSER YELLOWLEGS. Offshore were up to 62 COMMON TERNS and amongst other
gulls were 7 juv. FRANKLIN'S GULLS (DC). Be on the watch for jaegers!

Seen flying over Deadman's Lake in Oliver were 4 juvenile BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS (DB) and at Vaseux Lake were 16 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS (DB).
Also at the N. end of Vaseux Lake was the long staying TUNDRA SWAN (DB).
Banded at the Vaseux Banding Station was a first year YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
(BL).

Up to 12 STILT SANDPIPERS were seen at Robert Lake in Kelowna on Aug 19,
along with 2 juv. SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS (CC,LR).

Six COMMON TERNS were flying near the SS Sicamous on Ok. Lake in Penticton
(LN).

--------------------------------------------------------


Observer Initials: CC - Chris Charlesworth; BL - Barry Lancaster; TF -
Trevor Forder; DB - Doug Brown; DC - Don Cecile; LR - Lesley Robertson; LN -
Laure Neish; RT - Ryan Tomlinson; LRock - Laurie Rockwell; RH - Rick Howie;
RM - Richard Mooney; TH - Ted Hillary; EM - Ed MacDonald; JB - Jack Bowling;
SR - Syd Roberts.

If you have any questions about Okanagan birding call Dick Cannings, in
Naramata, at (250) 496-4019, Chris Charlesworth in Kelowna (250) 718-0335,
or Phil Gehlen, in Vernon at (250) 542-8053.

Chris Charlesworth
Avocet Tours
725 Richards Road
Kelowna, BC, Canada
V1X 2X5
(250) 718-0335
c_charlesworth at avocettours.com
www.avocettours.com

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